Short Story: The Embassy

Image:By Cyberjunkie (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

The Embassy

"I don't understand why you have brought me here, father" the boy said, he didn't like to be dragged away from his war games, especially if he suspects it is for educational purposes.

"This is very important" his father told him as they left the carriage and walked up the gilded path to the white stone building atop a small hill. "A long time ago there was a race of beings that defied any logical description. They were kind but also hateful, they were loving and warlike, they were barbarians as well as technological."

The boy rolled his eyes and looked at the trees, the grass, his sandals and anything but where he supposed to going. He hoped his soldiers did not all go home, thinking their games were over for the day. They passed two guards holding spears and then came up to a most remarkable door.

"This door, as you can see, is no ordinary door" his father told him. The boy already knew just by looking at it. "Are those..."

"Those figures, yes, those are human" the elder said

"What is this place?" the boy asked.

"We call it the Embassy" his father, the King, answered "We have learned a lot of their people here, which can be learned nowhere else"

The boy was very interested now. "Can we go in, father?"

The older man nodded "I believe it is important that we do so. If we do not go in, then we will never know the answers to the questions we bear"

Only the King could open the door and he did this with a touch. The doors knew him and would respond to him. They swung open and the prince followed behind his father as he entered, the doors shut behind them.

Inside were artifacts of the human race and its history. These were mere trinkets, though, to the real purpose of the building. Against the back wall were four large tanks with coffin-like metal tubes standing against them. On these coffin-like tubes could be seen four human faces, preserved and alive.

"These are the Ambassadors of the human race" the King told his son "Their minds and heads have been preserved, so that our species is never alone. We conquered them, as we did many species, but we keep a few alive, because exterminating them completely is evil"

The boy nodded solemnly. This was a good lesson for a future king.

....................

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